Tilting arc



F. H. ROHR TILTING ARC May 9, 1944.

Filed May 2l, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 NGN bm. QW.

INVENTOR. f/QEOEQ/CKH.' Roh/e,

ATTORN EY.

.May 9, 1944. F. H. ROHR 2,348,309

TILTING ARC Filed May 21, V1943 4 sheets-sheet 2 IEOEQ/CKEBOHQ,

l N VE N TOR.

Q i l l BY ATTORN EY.

Maly 9, 1944. F. H. Rol-IR 2,348,309

TILTING ARG Filed May 21; 194s 4 sheets-sheet s ATTORNEY.

May 9, 1944.

F. H. ROHR TILTING ARC Filed May 2l,` 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v l 93 @la 92 E 96 Or gg INVENTOR. @iDEQ/CKE Rome,

n ATTORNEY;

Patented May 9, 1944 TILTING ARC Frederick H. Rohr, San Diego, Calif., asslgnor to Rohi- Aircraft Corporation, Chula Vista, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 21, 1943, Serial No. 487,862

11 Claims.

My invention relates to tilting arcs, particularly arcuate rail lifting slings used for supporting and handling heavy physical objects the center of gravity of which is made to conform to the radius point of the arc of the rail in order that the load may be readily turned and shifted to render accessible to the operator any desired part, and its objects are to afford a better means for handling and turning into desired ,positions all kinds of heavy engines, apparatus or other bulky or unwieldy subject matter; to secure, adjust and lock the said load in various desired positions in relation to said rail; to provide a better and more speedy means of attaching and detaching the load; to insure greater safety, efficiency and economy of operation in handling heavy apparatus than has heretofore been possible to accomplish; to permit, in the handling of heavy engines, the manual revolving of the crankshaft for various purposes without the necessity of the removal of the engine from its support, and in general to simplify and render more effective the operation of the several parts.

This present application includes part of the disclosure presented inmy earlier copending application, Serial No. 437,777, filed April 6, 1942, and entitled Power plant installation control means and method, and I reserve such earlier date for all common subject matter set forth and described herein.

I am aware that attempts have been made in the structures of the prior art to employ liftingslings or cranes in 'which a curved bar is utilized as a supporting and handling means for handling heavy engines, runners being mounted upon said bar to permit the same to be attached to lifting or other suspending means for said engines; but such constructions are open to the objections that they are cumbrous, impracticable, unsafe and unwieldy, and obviously could not have gone into commercial use. In perfecting my improved tilting arc, however, I have through experimental use, in handling bulky and heavy objects, developed means and mechanism for overcoming the defects in prior constructions, in. that among other improvements, I have rendered it practically impossible to dislodge the supporting means from the arcuate rail while at the same time permitting such means to be easily attached and detached from the load and to be readily adjustable in any position upon said rail and if desired to allow said means to be locked in position; also that through such improved construction I am able to an extent never before accomplished to suspend heavy loads in so delicate a balance that the pressure of a workmans handwill move the same to any position within an arc of any desirable degree, and that I have through a new and improved attachment rendered it possible, in the case of work to be performed upon heavy aviation motors or other unwieldy engines, to permit the crankshaft of such engines to be manually revolved for cleaning and other desired operations without it being necessary to remove the engine from its support on said rail. Generally speaking, my improved tilting arc enables fewer men to turn out more work in less time and with less fatigue than has heretofore been found possible with the commercial structuresv now commonly employed in airplane factories or other plants engaged ln heavy mechanical construction, and its application to fields of final assembly and advanced base repair immeasurably increases its value to the manufacturer and repairman, whether it be used in airplane manufacture or otherwise, or in those cases where it is found necessary to turn over the loadin handling any sort of heavy material whatever.

Attention is hereby directed to the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred form of myV invention, in which similar numerals of designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which, f

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved 0 tilting arc, showing generally its means of suspension and the means of attachment of the arcuate I-beam rail to a heavy aviation motor disposed in horizontal position with the link rods removed from working position for better illustration;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1 with the motor detached and showing the link rods restored to operative position;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1 and is an enlarged view of the trolley lifting eyel side plates, trolley wheels and adjacent parts, showing its manner of attachment to the I-beam rail;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal view of one of the detachable link rods; 5 Fig. 5 is a view, greatly enlarged, showing the connections of the propeller shaft of the motor with the clevis plates near one end of the I-beam rail;

Fig. 6 is a view of my improved tilting arc showing the motor suspended in vertical position, the parts otherwise being in the vsame relative position as heretofore shown;

Fig. 7 is a view showing my tilting arc with the motor suspended at a forty-five degree angle 55 to that shown in the previous views;

Fig. 8 is a view partly in section of a special form of construction to be employed in locking the trolley mechanism in desired position, and shows a spring actuated plunger mounted upon one of the trolley plates and located to make locking contact with one of the holes through the web of the I-beam rail;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a part of the plunger shown in Fig. 8 for the purpose of better illustrating the exterior construction thereof;

Fig. 10 is a section on line III-I0 of Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrows, and further illustrating the construction of the means of attachment of the crankshaft ofthe motor to the aforesaid clevis plates;

Fig. 11 is a view of a special form of motor` shaft and adjacent parts and connections, the periphery of which shaft is shaped to engage with the central jaw of a manually operated turn over bar, and

Fig. 12 is a section on I2-.I2 of Fig. 11 looking in thedirection of the arrows, showing an enlarged view of the splined periphery of the motor shaft, jaw of the turn over .bar and connecting parts. 4

Referring to the drawings, the arcuate rail I3 is the basic member of .my improved lifting sling and is preferably .inthe form of a conventional I-beam, which is madeof metal of sufficient size and strength to carry a predetermined required load, and which is substantially in the form of an arc of a circle the center of which is located at or near the center of gravity of said load so that the same may be readily moved by manual pressure. If desired, the said rail may be as is obvious in the form cfa solid rod of any appropriate cross section, or in the form of a pipe, or any form suitable for the purpose. The best results, I have found, however, could be secured through the use of an I-beam or T-beam rail or other equivalent structure.

' Located above my said sling and forming the main support thereof is the lifting eye I4, shaped to` engage with the hook of-a conventional hoist positioned upon the usuall track so that the hoist may be shifted to suitable locations in the plantv as the work may require. Aixed to said eye I4 and preferably integral therewith is the trolley member I5, which is in the form of a downwardly depending tongue having an opening I6 therein through which extends the shank of the bolt I1 and serves to connect the said tongue thereto. Also affixed to the shank of the I'bolt I1, are the trolley side plates I8 and I9, the said bolt Apassing through openings 20 and 2l, respectively,

in hubs 22 and 23 thereof; al1 of these parts being firmly secured in position upon the tightening of the nut 24. Pivotally mounted upon the plates I8 and I 9, and extending inwardly from the walls thereof, are the trolley wheels 25 and 26, which are shaped to engage with the channels 21 and 28 of the I-beam rail I3 and to travel therein. Preferably these trolley wheels are four in number, one pair of wheels 25 engaging with the channel on one side of the I-beam rail and one pair of wheels 26 engaging with the channel on the other side, but if desired more or less Awheels could be used. By employing an I-beam construction of arcuate rail, with the double channels or trackage therein, and by using the dou- .ble mounting of wheels running in said channels as above set forth, I have found that a much better, safer and more durable running connection of the trolley mechanism wiith the rail is secured than heretofore. This hugging connection of trolley wheels and rail eiectually guards against accidental dislodgment of the crane and possible injury to the workman, and at the same time ensures the performance of better work. To prevent the longitudinal disengagement or dislocation of the trolley wheels at or near the ends of the rail I3, I preferably form the same on each side thereof with stops 29 and 30 which are preferably integral therewith and are shaped to close each of the said channels to the passage of the said wheels. Also, I prefer to supply either or both ends of said rail with bumper pads 3l, one of which is here shown; the purpose of such pads being to guard the rail extremities against injury or damage from contact with external objects and also to protect such objects from impact with said rail.

Located near one end of the rail I3 and downwardly depending from the edges thereof are the gussets 32 and 33, which are preferably welded thereto or made integral therewith; and welded, or otherwise, secured to said gussets and to the inner side of the rail are the upper ends of two pairs of tie bars 34 and 35, the lower ends of which are similarly secured to the spreader head 36; all of these parts forming the main vstructure of the bracket 44. Intermediate the` ends of the pair of tie bars 34 is welded or otherwise secured to the rod 31, which together with the loop 38 affixed to theinner side of said rail I3, serve to hang out of the way the detachable link rods 39. (See Fig. 1.) Extending inwardly from the ends of the tie bars 34 and 35, or as a. continuation thereof, are legs 40 and 4I, which serve as protectors for buffer the said pads being secured to the spreader head 36 by brackets IIiI, and laces 46 passing over said spreader head.

The link rods 39. as shown in the drawings, preferably two in number, each of which is constructed to be detachably connected to the bracket 44 at one end of spreader head 36, and each of which rods is in the form of an elongated bar 41, provided at the top end with a handle 48 and at the bottom with the catch 49 and the spring latch 50, actuated by the vspring 5I and actuating rod 52 suitably mounted for longitudinal movement upon the bar 41 in any manner well known in the art. As shown, each of said link rods is so shaped with a bend in the lower portion thereof that the catch 49 .may register and readily be connected with one of the lifting 'eyes of the motor 45. Preferably each of said link rods 39 is provided intermediate the ends thereof with an elongated thumb 53 the hollow of which as shown is shaped pivotally to engage with the attachment 54 upon the end of the head 36 and to be removable therefrom.

At or near the end of the rail I3 opposite to the end bearing the bracket 44, I secure to the innerside of said rail by welding or by other suitable means the clevis plates 55 and 56 (see Figs. 1 and'2, and more particularly Figs. 5 and 10), which plates are spaced to admit with slight clearance the tongue 51, connected with the propeller shaft 60 of the motor 45, round registering openings 13 and 14 being formed in said plates and an opening being made in said tongue to receive the round shank 58 of the round clevis pin 59. Preferably, I construct the clevis plate 56 with a cylindrical sleeve 6I, the bore 15 of which is somewhat `larger than the opening in said plate, but which is located to be concentric therewith; and at the same time I form the clevis pin 59 with an enlargement 62 loosely tting said pads 42 and 43,

audace bore 1l and capable of ready longitudinal movement therein, the shank Il of said pin being reduced in diameter from that of said enlargement, and freely engaging with the openings 18 and 14 in both of said clevis plates 55 and I8. In order to permit the ready attachment and locking in position of said clevis pin 59, I pivotally mount upon said sleeve 6| the latch key 69, the head 64 of which is constantly forced outwardly by the compression spring 65 engaging with and held in place by stud 66 on the underside of head 64 and movable stud 61 in said sleeve 6|. The latch 12 of said key 63 extends through the opening 68 in said sleeve and normally contacts with the annular ridge 69 and bevel 18 of the enlargement 62, and thereby serves to lock the said clevis pin 59 in place. To remove the said pin, the latch 12 will be released by manual pressure upon the head 64, and the pin readily disengaged by its handle 1|.

As will be observed, the spring 65 operates at all times to depress themovable stool 61 downwardly upon the adjacent wall of the pin 59, so that upon the said pin being suiciently withdrawn the said stool will engage with the bevel behind ridge 69 and will effectively prevent the removal of said pin. At the same time, this engagement of said stool with said pin is such that said pin may be readily thrust forward out of said engagement to make ready contact with the openings in the clevis plates in the manner hereinbefore described.

For the purpose of connecting the tongue 51 with the propeller shaft 68 of the motor 45, I preferably employ the special form of construction shown in Fig. 5, in which the shank 16 of said tongue is shown to be rotatably mounted upon ball bearings 11 housed within cap 18, the mouth of which is preferably screwthreaded to engage with the threaded'end of the shaft 68; the end of said shank having an annular ridge 19 engaging with nner-wall of the seat of said bearings and the wall of said shank having therein an annular recess 80 embracing a removable ring 8|, which is in contact with the outer wall of said seat and serves to hold the said tongue in operative position and to prevent longitudinal displacement thereof.

For the purpose of allowing the said propeller shaft of the motor 45 to be turned for cleaning or other operations without the necessity of removing the motor from my improved sling, I preferably employ the construction shown in Figs. 11 and 12, in which a portion 82 of the shaft 60 is shown to be circumferentially provided with longitudinally extending spaced grooves 83 forming a splined area encircling said shaft; which grooves are arranged and formed to provide ready` means of engagement with my cranking bar 84, comprising the yoke 85, insert 86 detachably secured to said yoke and shaped to engage with grooves 83, and removable handles 81 affixed to the ends of said yoke. As shown the said insert 86 is fastened within the hollow of said yoke 85 by bolts 88, which Aextending through openings in ears 90 on the ends of said insert, engage with threaded openings in the body of the yoke 85. Preferably, each of the handles 81 is made with a slight bend as shown, and has a socket 9| at the inner. end thereof, in which is seated an extension 92 of one of the ends of said yoke; pins 93 passing through registering openings in the walls of said socket 9| and said yoke extension serving detachably to secure only necessary first to engage the :law of the insert with the reduced portion of the propeller shaft 68 immediately adjacent to the splined grooves 83 (see Fig. 11) and then by moving said jaw longitudinally toward the motor to interlock the teeth of the insert 86 with the. grooves 83, at which time the workman by grasping handles 81 can readily rotate shaft 68 to the degree desired. To remove said cranking bar 84 out of engagement with said shaft, this op'eration may obviously readily be accomplished by sliding said bar outwardly and off said grooves 83. and lifting the bar out of position.

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have illustrated means for locking the trolley carrier in various positions on -the track I3; this being accomplished by introducing within an opening 94 through the wall of one of the trolley side plates |9 the barrel 85, which may be welded thereto or made integral therewith, and by installating within said barrel the spring actuated plunger 98, the outer end 91 of which is positioned to regiater and make contact with openings 96 through the web of I- beam rail |3 when adjacent thereto. As shown,

this plunger device otherwise comprises the conventional form of the socket barrel 95, plunger bar 98, compression spring 99 interposed between parts, and handle |80, as well understood in the art.

In operating my improved lifting are, the trolley eye |4 is rst secured to the usual hoist which may be constructed, connected and arranged in the customary manner so that the same can .be shifted as desired by track or other means to locations in the plant where necessary or convenient for the performance of the work. After the desired location is reached, the tilting is lowered to the floor or to a position convenient to the workman, whereupon the trolley carrier is moved along the rail to one of the holes 95 in the web thereof, and the outer end 91 of the plunger bar 98 dropped in place in said hole. If it is desired to suspend and lock the motor in vertical position, the trolley carrier is similarly secured to the hole in the web nearest the lower end of the' track of the rail I3 as shown in Fig. 6. If it is desired to suspend and lock the motor in horizontal position, ,the said carrier is moved to the other end of the said track and similarly secured to the hole in the web there located a*y shown in Fig. 1; and if it is desired to suspend and lock the motor intermediate these vertical and horizontal positions, the said carrier is moved to one of the holes in the web intermediate those at the ends of the rail, as for example the hole equidistant therefrom as shown in Fig.

7, where the motor is suspended at an angle of forty-five degrees. Also, as is obvious, the said trolley carriage may not, be locked in position at all, but may be left to move along the track l of the rail |3, and pushed to the location thereon desired.

To connect the motor 45 with my lowered tilting arc, the said motor being disposed on the floor in a horizontalposition, I remove the clevis pin 59 and detach the cap 18 and connections from the clevis plates 55 and 56, and thereupon screw the cap 18 onto the threaded end of the shaft 60. Thereafter, I move the said clevis plates on the end of my tilting arc toa position adjacent to the end of said shaft and connect the opening in tongue 51 with the clevis plates by reseating the clevis pin 59 therein The other gaia-handle to `:wie yoke. 'reinstall my cranking bar 84 in operative positiongit is end of the tilting arc is then moved to a position convenient for attachment of such end to the lifting eyes of the motor 45, which attachment is accomplished by removing the linkrods 39 from their out of place positions shown in Fig. 1, and by mounting them in operative position as shown in Fig. 2 and by hooking them to said lifting eyes in the manner hereinbefore described, the buffer pads 42 and 43 serving to make a close protective connection of the parts; the motor by reason of said attachments being held rigidly in position. After this assembly is accomplished, the motor may be hoisted into such position as may be desired by the workman; and theV motor moved to locations convenient to his work by` turning the same upon said rail.

If it is desired to revolve the crankshaft of the motor for the cleaning operation as required by army specifications, or for other purposes, such turning may be readily accomplished through the use of the crankingbar 84 applied in the manner hereinbefore set forth to the grooves 83, and without the necessity of disconnecting the motor from the tilting arc.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, as above set forth, is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of my invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination` of an arcuate crane in the form of a rail with openings therein and having a track on each side thereof, a trolley liftingv carrier supporting said crane, said carrier having a double set of wheels mounted thereon each set engaging with one of said tracks and running thereon and4 both sets gripping said rail therebetween and preventing dislodgement therefrom, springactuated means mounted upon said carrier and located to engage with each of said openings and to lock said carrier upon said rail adjacent thereto, and means extending from the ends of said railfor attachment of the load arranged with its center of gravity at ornear thecenter of radiusv of said arcuate crane.

2. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of an arcuate crane in the form of an I-beam having'openings therein and atrack on each side of the web thereof, a trolley lifting carrier supporting said crane, said carrier having a double set of 'wheels mounted thereon engaging with said tracks and running thereon and gripping said beam therebetween and preventing dislodgement therefrom, spring actuated means mounted upon said carrier and located to engage with each of said openings and to lock said carrier upon said rail adjacent thereto, means extending from the ends of said beam for attachment of the load arranged with its center of gravity at or near the center of radius of said arcuate crane.

3. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of an arcuate crane in the form of an I-beam having openings through the web thereof, a trolley lifting carrier, supporting said crane, said carrier having wheels mounted thereon engaging with the channels of said beam and running therein and said wheels gripping said beam.

therebetween and preventing dislodgement therefrom, a spring actuated plunger mounted upon said carrier, the outer end of which plunger is positioned to register and make engagement with said openings when adjacent thereto, and to lock said carrier against movement upon said beam and means extending from the ends of said rail for attachment of the load arranged with its center of gravity at or near the center of radius of said arcuate beam.

4. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of an arcuate rail, a trolley lifting carrier running upon said rail and acting to support the same, a bracket extending from one end of said rail for attachment to the lifting eyes of a motor, and a connection extending from the other end of said rail and constructed to make rotatable attachment to the propeller shaft of said motor, and permitting said shaft to be rotated without disconnecting said motor from said rail after it has been attached.

5. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of an arcuate crane having a track, a trolley lifting carrier running upon said track and acting to support said crane andmeans extending from the ends of said crane for attachment to a motor arranged with its center of gravity sub stantially the same as the center of radius of said arcuate crane said means comprising a bracket extending from one end of said crane for attachment to the lifting eyes of 4said motor and a connection extending from the other end of said crane and constructed to make rotatable attachment to the propeller shaft of said motor.

6. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of an arcuate crane having a, track, a trolley lifting carrier 4running upon said track and act- 'A ing to support said arcuate crane, a bracket extending from one end of said arcuate crane, detachable link rods pivotally secured intermediate the ends thereof to said bracket and arranged to be removably yaffixed to the lifting eyes of a motor, a. connection extending-from the other end of said arcuate crane for rotatable attachment to the'shaft of said motor, said motor being thereby supported with its center of 'gravity at or near the center of radius of said arcuate crane,

7. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of anA arcuate crane having a track, a trolley lifting carrier running upon said trackv and acting to support said crane, a bracket provided withbuffer pad; extending from one end of said arcuate crane, detachable link rods, said rods being i and arranged to make rotatable attachment tothe shaft oi said motor, said motor being thereby supported with its center of gravity at or near the center of radius of said arcuate crane, and the shaft of said motor being rotatable without removal of said motor from its attachment to said crane.

8. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of crane in the form of an' arcuate rail, a trolley lifting carrier running on said rail and acting to -support the same, means .for attaching a motor to said crane, said vmeans comprising a bracket extending from one end of said crane for attachment to the body cfa motor, clevis plates extending from the other end of said crane, a cap constructed to be mounted upon j ascasoa 5 the end of the shaftof said motor. vand ball bearings housed within saidI cap and a tongue mounted to rotate within said bearings and arranged to be removably secured to saidclevis plates', whereby said shaft may be rotatably attached to` said clevis plates and krotated without the necessity of Iremoval of the' motor after it has been attached to said crane.

9. In tilting arc apparatus, .the vcombination I of an' arcuate cranein the formof a rail, a trolley lifting carrier running on said-rail and acting to support the same, a bracket extending from one end of said crane for attachment to the body of a motor and means of attachment for revolubly securing the shaftof said motor to the other end of said crane, said means comprisi'ng a tongue which is rotatably connected with said shaft and the tip of which has an opening therein,A clevis'plates connected with 'l the other end of said crane, and having openings therein registering-with the opening in said ltongue, and a clevis pin constructed to pass through and tg `engage with all of said openings j and removably to securesaid tongue to said clevis plates, whereby said shaft may berotated without removing. said motor fromv it attachmenttosaid crane. v

,25 rotatable attachment to the shaft of ma motor.

10. tilting arc apparatus. the combination of an arcuate crane having a track, a trolley lifting carrier running upon said track and acting to'support said arcuate'crane. gussets -ex- .tending from one end o! said'crane, tie bars affixed to said gussets, a spreader head secured to said tie bars, detachable link rods pivotally secured intermediate their ends to said spreader v head and arranged to be removably aiiixed to the lifting eyes of a motor, and a connection extending from the other end of said crane and constructed to make rotatable attachment to theshaft of said motor.

11. In tilting arc apparatus, the combination of an arcuate crane having a track, a trolley lifting carrier-running upon said track and acting to support said crane, a bracket extending from one end of said crane, detachable link rods pivotally secured intermediate their ends to said bracket, each of said rods having a handle at the top and a bend and a manually operated spring catch at `the bottom portion thereof. for removable attachment toone of the lifting eyes of a 4motor, and a connection extending from the other end of` said crane constructed to make mnnnmcx H. nona. l 

